Free French Badge ID

[JBFloyd]

Can anyone ID this Free French badge? My French insignia sources are limited.

This comes with a group of medals indicating the recipient served in the Cameroons in WWII

[H BABERT]

Hi JB,

It 's known as "insigne France Libre", made in England during WWII and given to all Free French Forces, there is a number on the back, if you look at some pictures of free French forces in England before D-Day, they all have this insignia.
Herlé

[VerKuilen Ager]

What's this one?

[JBFloyd]

Herle,

Merci.

[H BABERT]

Hi Histaria,
This one is for French Forces in France ("résistance") made in 44 in France by Arthus Bertrand famous insignia maker(whos has made insignia for Pétain!! ) I will try to find something else about this one.
Herlé

[Prosper Keating]

As Herle says, these FFI badges were instituted during the Liberation of France for combattants in the FFI, the Forces Françaises de l'Interieur, which were the resistance groups approved of by Free French leader General de Gaulle.

They were made of silver and are amongst the few French military badges to be numbered to recipients. The parachute wings are another example. Anyway, these little badges crop up occasionally in flea markets and militaria shops in France. But if you can find them with their certificates, then it's a real bonus. Time and time again I have been shown medals by some recently deceased French veteran's relatives, with Euro signs in their greedy little eyes, only to find that the cretins have thrown all the papers and photos in the garbage.



Here is part of a group that I was able to save. In it, you can see the FFI Combattant's Badge with its corresponding numbered certificate. Also included is René Monnier's ultra-rare Bataillon FFI de Paris badge - Paris FFI Battalion - by Drago. You'd have been lucky to find enough freedom fighters in the whole of Paris to staff a company, let alone a battalion, during the Occupation. Of course, hundreds flocked to the barricades once they knew the Allies were entering the city. But René Monnier, who was 17 in August 1944, had been running errands for the FFI since 1942.

Also seen is one of his FFI brassards but not in the picture is a far more impressive brassard issued by the Town Hall of the 9th Arrondisement and stamped both with their official stamp and with the Milices Patriotiques stamp. And then there is his 1939-45 War Medal with the LIBERATION bar and his civilian jacket lapel device. Like many Parisian FFI men, Monnier was absorbed into the 2nd Armoured Division under Leclerc and fought all the way into Germany and to the Eagle's Nest, where they were just pipped to the post by the 101st Airborne.

The FFI Combattants' Badge was issued and worn during the Liberation. Early examples often came with handsigned certificates, as in this case. Later on, the certificates were all-facsimile.

Prosper Keating